Our days are limited
by Andy101
Summary: "There is no one I would rather be with for the rest of my life, however short that may be." Katniss and Peeta enjoy their last moments together on the beaches of the Quarter Quell, a little more detailed then it was in Catching Fire. Oneshot.


a/n: This is my expansion of the beach scene from Catching Fire. Where Katniss and Peeta kiss while keeping watch.

As it stands this is a oneshot but I was thinking of making a series of one shots focusing on a single theme/emotion. Please review/ comment and tell me what you think. As always constructive criticism is appreciated but I'm much to sensitive for plain out meanness _.

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Perfection? 

I felt it again. That feeling that I had only felt once before. It quickly coursed through me, poisoning me with a hungry desire for more. I wiggled myself closer, so that Peeta could cradle me more comfortably into the familiar nooks of his body. I felt myself drowning in the familiar yet alien sensations, his tender lips on mine, the heat radiating from his skin and the drumming of our heartbeats were all things I had felt before…yet, hadn't. Not like this. I couldn't really comprehend it, all I knew was that the feeling was so phenomenal that it _almost_ made me forget that this moment might be our last. Almost. I could never really forget. The threat of the hunger games always loomed over me, like a dark thundering cloud. This would probably be the last chance I ever have to kiss Peeta. And then it hit me, like a malice in the face. I finally understood what it meant to kiss someone. To really kiss someone, not those staged kisses I had been sharing with Peeta for the benefit of President Snow and his precious Capitol. I realized that at this moment I was kissing Peeta not as a strategy for survival but because I want to, because it feels right. I don't have to worry about the people of the capitol, or my family or the guilt I should feel for Gale because come tomorrow I could be dead so for now I just enjoy the pleasure of his touch. This true kiss will be one of the few pleasures I will ever have in my short life. That realization only feeds the desperate poison that has already possessed me. I feel my arms wrap themselves around Peeta's neck, as if to pull him even closer, allow me a firmer grip on this boy, this boy who once saved my life by giving me hope. Without intention, my hands wind their way into his soft golden locks, pulling him down onto the sand as his arms embrace my waist. Peeta is kissing me with as much passion and desperation as I am kissing him. Until, he is not. I can feel him begin to push me way but I only tighten my hold on him.

"Kat… Kat… Katniss" he manages between kisses as he weakly tries hold me at bay. I don't understand him, why would he want to put space between us when all I want is to feel us even closer. I don't feel like contemplating the idea, so I continue to ignore him. He keeps trying to talk to me but my mind can't register the words. The only thing that sinks in is the fact that his attempts at speech are disturbing our kiss so I become more liberal. I trail kisses around his face and down his neck. I inhale his scent and he smells like warmth and kindness and that lingering fragrance of bread which I'm not sure is really there or merely an ingrained association.

"Katniss-stop" he hisses out as he finally pulls away from me and sits back up.

"I'm sorry" are the only words that come to mind as his rejection seems to numb me all over. I look over at ocean, it's almost beautiful, at least it would be if I wasn't aware that the calm waters are only a part of the game.

"It's not you" he replies to my obvious disappointment. "We just don't have time for this." That snaps me out of it. All my feelings of rejection are instantly converted into anger and I lash out at him.

"You are such an idiot!" I yell at him as I pick myself up and put a couple of feet between us. I already miss him but I am too angry to say anything so I turn my back on him. He's hurt, I can tell by the way he sucks his breath back in but he doesn't say anything, at least not at first. He lets me sulk for a few minutes before he tries to talk to me again.

"Katniss." I ignore him so he continues "Katniss, please talk to me." He lightens the tone of his voice. "come on I don't want to die with you being mad at me." I flip myself around and glare at him.

"So you haven't forgotten where we are, the situation we are in" I hiss out.

"Of course not" he counters.

"Then why?" I struggle to finish as the blushing heat swells my face. "Then why did you push me away?" I can feel the wine in my voice and it makes me sick so I pause and replace it with anger "we don't have time for this" I mimic "don't you see that we don't have any time left, we could be killed at any moment, and you would rather be staring at the scenery."

"Katniss, if I could I would spend every last second of forever with you. There is no one I would rather be with for the rest of my life, however short that may be."

"Then why-"

"Because we can't afford to be so distracted Katniss." He cuts me off "we promised the others we would keep watch. They are counting on us to be alert." I look at the others sleeping just a few feet away from us and guilt crashes down on me. In my selfish hunger for Peeta's attention I had forgotten all about them. I had accused Peeta of being an idiot when in reality it's me. Whereas I only think of what I want Peeta thinks of our safety, of keeping us safe, of keeping me alive regardless of his own desires. I look at his warm blue eyes, his soft features and it melts my heart. I shift closer to him.

"I'm sorry." I pause "Look at who the real idiot is" I chuckle at an attempt for liveliness. " You're right… of course your right you are mister perfect after all…fierce protector."

Peeta doesn't return my lightheartedness. Instead he clenches his hand in the sand so that it trickles out of his fist and looks down in shame "I'm not perfect Katniss, I can't do anything." I don't understand his frustration at first but as I watch him I understand that he is referring to me. He is referring to his inability to protect me, he is perhaps blaming himself for not being Gale. Even now he only thinks of me, he is completely selfless willing to give me everything he has and more. My resolution to protect him only increases tenfold. How can I possible let someone as kind and warm as Peeta die at the hands of the hateful Capitol. He is too good for this, too good for me and I realize that I can't let the capitol have him, can't let them destroy one of the few pure things left in this world. I need to do everything in my power to protect him. I don't tell him any of this instead I just reach out and un-fist his hand, forcing his fingers in-between my own.

"But you are perfect, at least in all the ways that matter to me and in all the ways I am not." He looks at me with an awkward mixture of hope and disbelief so I reach my free hand out and stroke the side of his face. "It's your incredible kindness that makes you perfect. Why would I need someone who can hunt when I can do it myself? Why would I need a protector when I can protect myself?" I pause and look him in the eyes to let him know that my statement wasn't meant as a snide "what you can do is so much better, you can bring beauty into the world" I say as I think of his paintings and of his pastries "and you can bring people calm" I smile as I remember the nights spent in his arms, his smiles and the way he can charm all of Panem, "there are bucketfuls of people in the world who can wield weapons, or hunt or invent things but there is only a few with the tenderness and the pureness you carry and only you can make me feel the way you do." I still don't understand the feeling myself or what it could possibly mean but I know that it's unique to Peeta. I let the silence settle between us and I allow myself one more indulgence as I lean forward and steal one last lingering kiss.


End file.
